A long colony of green algal cells is rigidly connected, resembling a pole. It moves in a straight line, either forward or backward, toward a particle. Another type of individual green algal cell is half-hidden behind the particle. A Euglena cell is attached to the particle and does not move. There are numerous unmoving diatoms surrounding the particles.

But to conclusively state that the organism is Oscillatoria simplicissima,
it is necessary to measure the width of its trichome, length of each cell,
and to confirm the absence of any particles in the septa.